DENVER — Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after returning from an earlier injury, and the Colorado Avalanche overcame blowing a three-goal lead to beat the Minnesota Wild 9-6 on Sunday night in a wacky Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Makar, who left in the first period because of an undisclosed ailment, scored his second goal of the game with 2:54 remaining to make it 8-6. Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-net goal with 2:08 remaining to seal it.
This was the 10th playoff game with at least 15 combined goals and just the second since 1994. There were five goals in each period.
Who figured this? A high-scoring affair between two of the league’s better defensive teams, with two elite goaltenders. Fourteen different players notched a goal — tied for the second-most in a playoff game.
The Avalanche improved to 72-1 since moving to Colorado in 1995-96 when leading a playoff game by three or more goals. The lone loss was Game 5 against St. Louis in a season the Avalanche went on to win the Stanley Cup.
A well-rested Colorado team led 3-0 just 6:47 into the game. But the Wild steadily climbed back and took a 5-4 lead on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno late in the second.
Devon Toews tied at 5-5 in the second period. It was just the fourth Game 1 in playoff history to feature both teams scoring five or more goals through two periods.
Both goalies struggled, but made some timely saves, too. Scott Wedgewood, who had the league’s best goals-against average this season, allowed one more goal than he did during the Avs’ sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.
He made 30 saves, and Jesper Wallstedt stopped 34 shots.
Makar took a scary hit along the boards from Foligno early in the first period. The Avalanche defenseman’s right leg flew into the air before he fell to the ice. Makar tested out his skating with some twirls at the end of the first and returned for the second. He had an assist on Nick Blankenburg’s goal.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Denver.
Leave a Reply